When two worlds collide

Chapter 15

The clearing was eerily quiet except for the hum of Doctor Strange's magic as he maintained his hold on Y/N's doppelgänger. The chains of light glowed fiercely, crackling with power as they constricted the creature, keeping it bound for the moment. Y/N stood beside Wanda, their breath shallow as they tried to focus through the pain in their side.

Strange's voice was calm but urgent. "I'll hold it for as long as I can, but you need to act quickly. Sever the connection now, while it's weakened."

Y/N nodded, steeling themselves. They could feel the faint tug in their chest, the bond that had been formed with their doppelgänger ever since that first encounter. It was like a tether, pulling them toward the twisted version of themselves, feeding off their energy. But they weren't going to let this creature take anything more.

Wanda stepped forward, her hands glowing with scarlet magic. "I'll help," she said softly, her voice steady despite the tension in her eyes. "We'll break the connection together."

As Wanda began to work, her magic weaving around Y/N, Strange focused on keeping the doppelgänger contained. For a moment, it seemed like everything was going according to plan. The dark energy that connected Y/N and their doppelgänger began to flicker and fade, like a thread being unraveled from both ends.

But then, something shifted.

The doppelgänger's eyes gleamed with sudden clarity, and a twisted grin spread across its face. It stopped struggling against the magical chains and instead closed its eyes, focusing inward. Strange's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment, but then his expression darkened.

"Wait—" Strange began, but it was too late.

With a violent surge of energy, the doppelgänger didn't break free—it *switched places* with Y/N.

The shock hit everyone at once. There was no time to react. One moment, Y/N was standing beside Wanda, their connection weakening, and the next, they found themselves trapped in the glowing chains of light, disoriented and unable to move. The doppelgänger stood in their place, free, grinning with a victorious glint in its eyes.

Y/N gasped, their mind racing as they struggled to understand what had just happened. "What the—?"

Wanda froze, her magic faltering for a moment as she stared at Y/N—no, the doppelgänger—standing beside her. The creature had mimicked Y/N's appearance so perfectly that for a brief moment, it was as if nothing had changed. But the look in its eyes, the darkness lurking behind that familiar gaze, told Wanda everything she needed to know.

"Y/N?" Wanda whispered, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

The doppelgänger turned to her and smiled sweetly. "It's me," it said, its voice perfect, soft, and reassuring. "I'm fine now."

But Wanda hesitated. Something was off. She could sense it—the subtle shift in the energy around them, the way the air felt thicker, more dangerous. And when she looked into the doppelgänger's eyes, she didn't see Y/N. She saw something else entirely.

"Wanda," Y/N called out, their voice hoarse and strained. They struggled against the chains, but Strange's magic was holding fast. "That's not me!"

Strange's eyes widened with understanding as he realized what had happened. "It swapped bodies," he muttered, his tone grim. "The doppelgänger's taken Y/N's place."

Wanda's heart pounded in her chest as she looked between the two. She knew she had to act quickly, but fear and doubt gripped her. If she made the wrong move, if she trusted the wrong person, it could mean losing Y/N for good.

The doppelgänger—wearing Y/N's face—reached out, its expression soft and pleading. "Wanda," it said in Y/N's voice, "you have to trust me. This is a trick. It's trying to confuse you."

But Y/N's voice—desperate and raw—cut through the clearing. "Don't listen to it! It's lying!"

Wanda's mind raced. She could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on her. The real Y/N was trapped, restrained by magic meant for their double. But the doppelgänger looked so convincing, so real, that it was hard to separate the two in the heat of the moment.

She needed to be sure. She needed to make the right choice.

Closing her eyes, Wanda let out a slow breath and reached out with her magic, letting it guide her. She felt for the thread of Y/N's energy, the unique signature that had become so familiar to her over the past days. It was faint—buried beneath layers of magical interference—but it was there, hidden beneath the surface.

When she opened her eyes again, her gaze locked onto the doppelgänger standing before her. The creature smirked, clearly confident in its deception.

"I'm sorry," Wanda said, her voice steady now. "But you're not Y/N."

Before the doppelgänger could react, Wanda unleashed a powerful surge of red magic, sending it crashing backward across the clearing. The creature's smirk twisted into a snarl of rage as it tumbled to the ground, its form flickering for a moment before it regained control.

Strange moved quickly, weaving a complex pattern in the air with his hands. The chains of light around Y/N vanished, releasing them from their magical prison.

Y/N stumbled forward, gasping for breath as they regained their footing. Wanda was by their side in an instant, her hand on their shoulder, grounding them. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, her voice filled with concern.

Y/N nodded, though they were still shaken. "Yeah," they managed, their voice ragged. "That... was close."

The doppelgänger rose to its feet, its eyes blazing with fury. "You're stronger than I thought," it growled, its voice dark and venomous now, no longer bothering to mimic Y/N's casual tone. "But this isn't over."

Strange stepped forward, his magic swirling around him in a protective barrier. "You've lost your advantage," he said coldly. "Leave now, or I'll send you back to whatever twisted dimension you crawled out of."

The doppelgänger sneered, but it didn't move to attack again. Instead, the energy shifted again. Y/N could feel herself slip away from the dobbelgangers body. The dobbelganger grinned, switching back to their own body. She looks at Wanda before it melted back into the shadows, its form dissolving into the darkness as it retreated. "I'll be back," it hissed, its voice echoing through the clearing. "And next time, you won't be so lucky."

As the creature disappeared, the tension in the air finally began to dissipate. Y/N let out a long breath, relief washing over them as fell on her knees into the grass.
"That was too close," Y/N muttered.

Wanda smiled softly, though her eyes still held a glimmer of worry. She walked over to y/n kneeling down beside her and placing an arm around Y/N "But we made it," she said gently. "And next time, we'll be ready."

Strange crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. "The doppelgänger is growing stronger," he warned. "We need to find a way to sever the connection permanently before it can attempt something like that again."

Y/N nodded, their jaw tight. "We will," they said, determination burning in their chest. "But for now, I think we've earned a break."

Wanda laughed softly, the sound light and warm despite everything they had been through. "Agreed," she said, wrapping her arm around Y/N's waist as they turned to leave the clearing. "Let's take a breather before the next crisis."

As they walked away from the clearing, Y/N couldn't shake the feeling that the battle wasn't over—not by a long shot. The doppelgänger had shown just how dangerous it could be, and now that it had failed to replace them, it would be more desperate than ever.